Method and apparatus for minimizing adverse effects of thermal expansion in a heat exchange reactor

a technology of heat exchange reactor and thermal expansion, which is applied in the direction of lighting and heating apparatus, gas-gas reaction process, laminated elements, etc., can solve the problems of thermal stress, particularly challenging thermal stress, and formidable challenges in the provision of features in tubular array heat exchange reactors
US20030173062A1Inactive Publication Date: 2003-09-18LAIR LIQUIDE SA POUR LETUDE & LEXPLOITATION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDE
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Current Assignee / Owner
LAIR LIQUIDE SA POUR LETUDE & LEXPLOITATION DES PROCEDES GEORGES CLAUDE
Publication Date
2003-09-18
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

A heat exchange reactor including a housing, a plurality of tubes mounted in the housing and configured to carry a first fluid, and a baffle having a plurality of holes receiving the tubes. The baffle is configured to guide a second fluid provided within the housing to flow in a direction generally perpendicular to the tubes. The reactor includes various configurations for minimizing adverse effects of thermal expansion of the baffle and the tubes. The reactor is configured to minimize mechanical interference between the baffle and the tubes in both an operational state and a non-operational state, for example, by shaping the holes in the baffle to take into account thermal expansion. The reactor also includes a thermal insulator along a length of the tubes at a large temperature gradient zone within the reactor. The reactor further includes a heat transfer fin in contact with only one of the tubes.
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Description

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to heat exchange reactors and methods of constructing heat exchange reactors.

[0003] 2. Discussion of the Background

[0004] Heat exchange reactors are often employed to carry out chemical reactions where significant quantities of heat must be added or removed from a first reacting fluid to a second heat transfer fluid, which may or may not be reacting. These heat exchange reactors often bear a strong resemblance to simple heat exchangers, but are often provided with additional features such as fixed beds of catalysts, specialized flowpath designs, exotic materials and the like. Heat exchange reactors are constructed in many forms, including plate-fin and tubular arrays.

[0005] An example of a reaction conducted in heat exchange reactors is the steam reformation of hydrocarbon feedstocks to produce hydrogen-containing gas mixtures. In this process, a mixture of steam and hydrocarbon is passed through one fluid circuit ...

Claims

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